Fuel relief valve



Nov. 1, 1932. A. c. ESTEP FUEL RELIEF VALVE Filed Nov. 1. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 1, 1932; AC. ESTEP FUEL RELIEF VALVE Filed Nov. 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y f, az y ive tim and Patented Nov. 1, 1932 ennre'n q. nsrnr, or sEAr'rLn, wnsnmeron FUEL RELIEF VALVE epnii et q i file inemen The pre nt interim contemp ates inter Peeing n in ilm ed end ev type Q leliei? ralve it-h n the fluid ii -e1 up-ply si rm i an nte nal fl ll hllfi l mem i h type wh r i the fluid. uel is fe t er t a it h gh pre sure fun amenta Q .1 i the' i ee the provision or" a iuelrelieif valve designed to establish and mgiintg in Within said fiuicl fuel supply system a, orking pressure which will oient results; for a giv iiepeed 9 the eng n 'l dy i e-eat: n i Cu rentd adjusta le .me he i new; o r e de fh refe wid in g8 and neerede iem i and adj s .k ms for llli il lllm Pr s ure d f r inq pressur e, grenter than minimum ternni ii]. pressures? vgl ereby sa d valve be qui klyrn posit r y at a j ed r. acmeier at" sel cted or p edetermined e bium?termin l p e ure a d may h in: sten ee i us y and pbs t e y' e 3 adju ted r efitua f q at se l e ed; nre etermin d irer pres u reet?!" (sa d n mum terminzil pressure. 7

Wi h. the e ends inv ew the e s tialli? e id i the pre i ien Q Mur ne P e se itu l rel ef w r r e high cvompre ieii type f interna cembust en engin a d inthep red mbed ,nt ther o is die!- 'i zf lby the 'en'mloynient ofrne nuelly ope adj a e 9 .811 '1.,'Whe :e y the pring subj t d to. sel c i e amulet 1mm .1 compre s 11 0 a t adjust the d al e um f r a tuatiqil e el ted predetermined niniinunr terminal presur th worm Qi $114 n tia ,v ompr 'sfi an term netpr ssu esettingbeingbe e up n b a n ng th mes? d sirable .Qpereting esu s the m iilmun Spe d- 9? th n in 601111 h net ien with ma ually actuated Or pera le -ei t ng and e fl w ng m me hani m, whereby th va e Sp ng y be s bje t additional compression to set or adjust the alve etern tor actuation at pressures greater nd the Prime s e m 1, .9% r9 1 mmhan said m ni um t mi a pr s r t h e y e tabl h endwill ile most e fuel pres suro ithin the fluid. surrrlysy em" of th en i e gin pe ds reat r tha a d mi imum engi f speed, which require reesureegrea ter then snirl i nini nu rn term nal pressure, produce he maximum and 1 91 9? e icient resu ts, t .eueh grater enginespeecl s i h n e t i 11 fur e res des he pro: isi f a, fuel relief valve. mbodyifig r e sib valve, i combin ien wi h a. ever e. mire t w ereby epa s-t id. glxje may be expeglitiouely and CQI lI HY made'without r m a fth ralv emtfieoperative position thereoif I Q Th nv ntion t l u ther re ides int PrQV iOn fefuel. rel ef vehje embody ng a 1.11. 19 in brerk n mb net nlw t Se terrible m re bedy r movab y fi r e ein, whe eby the fabrica ing for said alve, the assembling of the se ne Within said sunnett n bracket an the. di mounti of the h r frem' s ma er a y a ilita d," While also readily permitting ftl e ueeof diff ent, s h fabr cat on i l a d supp ting brgtcketend Val Gl QQlY' V Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vert oel' section of the lower portionof the same;

Fig. 3 isa fragmenteryhorizpntal seotion;

taken through 1. '90

Fig. 4 is a similar section taken through. 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken through 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of the rear end of an internal combustion engine illustrating the fuel relief valve, as it would appear when operatively connected to the fluid fuel supply system thereof, certain parts being in section and certain other parts broken away for clarity of illustration, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the same with certain parts'in section and certain other parts broken away.

In the accompanying drawings and in the following description I have elected to illustrate and describe the invention as applied to the fluid fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine of the high compression type, but, manifestly the fuel relief valve herein disclosed and described may be utilized in any capacity wherein fluid pressure control is desired, without departing from the spirit of the'invention or the benefits derivable therefrom, the present showing being merely by way of illustration.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates the rear wall of an internal combustion engine to which is suitably secured or bolted a rearwardly directed valve supporting bracket 11 having a lower boss 12 and an upper boss 13 integrally formed upon the rear end thereof in spaced and aligned relation.

Supported within the lower boss 12 and extending downwardly therefrom in axial prolongation thereto is a cylindrical valve body "1 or casing 14 exteriorly flanged at the upper end to snugly fit within the counterbored upper end of the boss 12 and to be removably secured therein by a set screw 15 threadably engaged within the said boss and abutting the periphery of said valve body.

The valve body 14 is provided adjacent the lower end and upon one side thereof with an internally threaded inlet 16 communicating with acounterbored and exteriorly threaded lower or discharge end 17 having a reversible tubular valve seat 18 concentrically disposed therein, for which purpose it is exteriorly reduced or shouldered adjacent each end thereof, so that either end of the same may snugly fit within the counterbored end 17, and is normally maintained therein by a cylindrical valve seat retainer 19 exteriorly flanged at the upper end to snugly fit within a counterbored union nut 20 threadably engaged upon the exteriorly threaded lower end 17 of the valve body 14. The exteriorly flanged upper end of the valve seat retainer 19, fitting within the union nut 20, is counterbored to snugly fit upon the lower end, or end not in use, of the reversible valve seat 18, while the lower portion of said retainer 19 extends downwardly and outwardly through the union nut 20 in axial prolongation thereto and is internally threaded at the lower or outer end thereof.

Formed and disposed within the upper end of the valve body 14 is a stuffing box 21, wherein is slidably disposed the lower half of a reversible valve stem 22, the upper half of which extends upwardly therefrom in axial prolongation thereto. Either end of the reversible valve stem 22 may seat upon either end of the reversible valve seat 18, for which purpose the reversible valve stem 22 is tapered or shouldered adjacent the ends thereof to provide reduced portions 23, the hardened terminals of which are also tapered or bevelled to fit within and abut correspondingly hardened faces formed within the ends of said reversible valve seat 18. The tapered or shouldered portions formed upon the reversible valve stem 22 adjacent the ends thereof also serve to present to the fluid fuel pressure, within the fluid fuel supply system of the associated engine, sufiicient surface area to actuate said valve'when the pressure within said fluid fuel supply system exceeds the selected pressure for which the valve isset or adjusted, as will be readily apparent and manifest by referring to Figs. 1 and 2.

Concentrically mounted upon the reversible valve stem 22 is a reversible flanged exteriorly threaded sleeve 24 removably secured in position thereon, against axial and rotative movement, by a set screw 25, the inner end of which seats within a peripheral aperture 26, formed within the reversible valve stem 22 substantially midway of the lengththereof, when the end of the valve stem remotest therefrom is in use, and which seats within a substantially diametrically opposed peripheral aperture 27, similarly formed within said valve stem, when the opposite end of the latter is in use and the sleeve 24 is positionedin reversed relation thereon.

Threadably engaged for adjustment upon the exteriorly threaded portion of the flanged reversible sleeve 24 is a spring adjusting nut 28 secured in a previously selected or predetermined adjusting position thereon, against axial and rotative movement, by a set screw 29, the inner end of which seats within a selected groove of a plurality of diametrically opposed grooves 30 cut in the periphery of the said exteriorly threaded portion in parallel relation to the axis thereof.

Slidably disposed and splined againstrotative movement within the upper boss 13,

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of the valve supporting bracket 11, is a hollessees diseases and guided, Inter seal between hessr se as issties se 28 ah the ssih st m: s a Spiral er hehtelsn ins 33., he levere rl. tat-Whi h s adsp ettts shut, said. eiustins s it and he urn-er endesh sly fit Within theenhuler seat te med by theey hea iest We ls Qt filtll1 m mber t QQllQWIEW E El ss senses :cyl h hisel w lls at he .them er 1 t t ashes. has heseef helits ly c t Q and ptst le upwardly extending helical tame 34, ehih herhesll ehht and entsct w th terres eudirsly tu QWIlWfll'tllYffiXtBhdlhfi hehtsl ase 3 ermed time t e ev r nd t.- etiell. aligned tlhedlt1$tihg ssind e 3 hau ted"; er, ret iv incr ment with s eer edle hnnettihs bra ket 37 suitab y se ure 0. elte ts he truss sid at he vesun Patt es hretht, 11 he hm adju ting spindle eeteetls up rd y thro e-h th bracket and rigid y seeir tl t0 Sa d sp n;- the 315 n test s-uses relat ve to the unrer tese aid h ehket 7, is e ens adjus ing 9 f v a en eel let's? 3h s-vihs ath e e 0.1? see-- tht tel PQF-liQl inte rally a d sy e tellr fetmed hee th inn r end and in; iametriesllr messed tele i h t he ndh ld net-ties theteetl Formed and pr vi e W hin he hernhe pe t r f. t tru hate p rtion 39' i a 'pletel tv t Se stio 's erstes es l adapted t9: sel tt tl cei and restraun l en ra e a; s rin ressed lock- .-i ,l. {1 b L p ihs his slidh y disro e vi h h h s hfis ss t2 nt s e ly e m d: 1 0 e p ndie. up-s r ing hra ht and he ing he there hs esht i 'nleh ef th htthehs dhhhtrsl ever 31 A ad al y t e,-

masses nth as fixeelv ecured With the end at t e .lrt nte ne tie 39 erv to limit the movement of the hand-control lever s enethr stihhi ter v ht t e ms 5 everrithlhs the ham "3 s." Wh e he shoul themed hr aid-whit sh t or l ck. a d se e e lim t the P YQ mJ J a d han c nt ol, e ter i the zenes e i ettien- 'B sidlv see itsd hreu' the'hnpe nd of t e ham; edi istise spindle and x ending ve tlly th efrem is a s eaming h w t th i -nu r estl Qt Whith' s s mi arly se -ted he we end at nwsrdlv xte n nets sen rhl s a tth, Wherehythe fu l r l e a v herein shstlessd ma eediu t d t f r; esthatieu a d s red pres u at y rresist-eh: lecs e ther t m, as will e obviou eh ssnareut- H I Mahifestl. hr termi s' he val body 14 se arabl an renter-abl here t a -Y reort hs htshh t e s h and e ib d, the fabricating, assembling and dismountingt Qt su h valve hQtlY s. e a y faci itated and ex ed ted, whi e al a y and 0 1- realest-hr en-h t ng f t u of difi e me rials. lia S a ve edv a ck t it i s e mo t d i ab tr m he st drein Qt emaeihy h. eenst uetioh. Fa ther made ho rem ng t al rom' he operative positionthereof.

In gs- 6 a 7 he num ral 4 es gnates a double plunger pumpsuitably secured to the lower portionlof the rear Wall of the engine and actuated thereat by an eccentric.

4-7) from shaft l8 driven from said engine by appropriate operating connections, The pump' lG supplies fluid fuel for a'll of the cylinde-rs of the engine, irrespective of the number thereof, and o this Purpose the plume er chambers of said pump are connected upon the suction side thereof to a common suction or supply pipe 49*leading from a suitable source of fluidv fuel, not shown, and upon the delivery or discharge sidetheleof are. connected by upwardly'extending delivery conduits 50 to a four-Way fitting or cross 51. 'A pressure relief conduit connects the four-. Way fitting 51 With the internally threaded inlet 16 of the valve body 14, W-hile,--an'up,-, Wardly extending conduit 53, connects the upthe inlet end of the fluid fuel manifold of the engine, not shown. The valve seat retainer 19 or'outlet end of the fuel relief valve. l

is connected by a fluid fuel overflow conduit 54- to a cross or four-Lway fitting 55 interposed Within the suction "pipe 49 and having a suce tion pipe air chamber 56 mounted Within the upper terminal thereof. To set or adjust the selected or predetermined minimum ter-V lninal pressure, based upon obtaining and securing the most desirable and effective operating results from the associated engine at the min mum speed thereof, the hand control lever 38 is'moved to the position inclicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 51, there: by relieving the helical spring 33 from com: press on by the complemental helical cams 34: and, 35,'respectively, whereupon the set screw 29 is released to permit adjustment of the spring adjusting nut '28 upon the ex teriorly threaded portion of the flanged re versible sleeve 24, whereby the helical spring- 33 is further compressed or the compression thereon is relieved depend ng upon the rotative direction given the adjusting nut 28, to thus set or adjust the correlated valve stem 2-2 to obtain and establish the desired minimumterminal pressure,- with n the fluid fuel supply system of the engine, and wheres at saidvalve stem Will be; actuated with the ngine opera ing tv minimum speed to 7 pro-- du e t e mas mum n most eflicieht r sult at. su h min mum engine peed It wil therefe eheie ioh and app ent t er-n the iers-- s ins-th t y teti e adjust-ins hi t. 1 t t ither: emr-re s the hel al seri sfuel relief valve for a v higher minimum terminal pressure will be established and maintained in the fluid fuel supply system for a higher minimum engine speed, while, by rotating said adjustingnut 28 to relieve the compression upon said hel cal spring 33 a lower minimum, terminal pressure will be established and maintained within said fluid fuel supply system for a lower minimum engine speed.

With the minimum terminal pressure setting or adjustment thus obtained and established, the set screw 29 is res-sated w thin the nearest groove 30, to thereby positively retain the adjusting nut 28 against rotation or displacement upon the flanged reversible sleeve 24-, after which the hand control lever 38 may be moved or traversed to the position ind cated in full lines in Fig. 5, or to the position indicated in dotted lines in said figure, or to any position intermediate of the posit ons herein shown and described, depending upon the working pressure setting and adjustment found most desirable and suitable for the specific engine speed. By moving or traversing the hand control lever 38 in the manner and direction herein d sclosed the complemental helical cams 34 and 35, respectively, are caused to still further compress the helical spring 33, to thereby increase the resistance of the latter to the fluid fuel pressure within the flu d fuel supply system of the engine and to establish and maintain therein fluid fuel working pressures deemed most desirable and found most effective for engine speeds greater than the minimum eng ne speed, which require working pressures greater than the aforementioned minimum terminal pressure, to pro duce the maximum and most efficient results, at such greater engine speeds. When the hand control lever 38 is in the position indicated in dotted lines the fuel relief valve is set or adjusted for the maximum working pressure in relation and with respect to the min mum terminal pressure setting or adjustment of the adjusting nut 28 upon the flanged reversible sleeve 24, as will be readily apparent by referring to the drawings. The hand control lever 38 is positively retained and restrainingly engaged against movement or d splacement from any selected or ad- 'justed position by the spring pressed pin 41 seating within the groove 40 nearest thereto.

Manifestly therefore, the fluid fuel relief valve herein shown and described is regulated to establish and maintain within the fluid fuel supply system of the engine the working pressure which gives the best results for a given speed of the engine. In practice and after exhaustive tests it was found that an engine of the type herein disclosed operates more smoothly with lower working pressures at lower speeds with reduced loads and that higher working pressures are desirable and necessary at higher speeds with greater loads, for the reason that by increasing the'working' pressures at higher speeds with greater loads better atomization of theincreased volume of fluid fuel required at such higher speeds is substantially insured and assured.

From the foregoing it will be obvious'and apparent that by employing in afuel relief valve the spring adjusting nut 28 with the associated and correlated parts thereof in conjunction and cooperation with the coinplemental helical cams 34 and 35, respectively and correlated parts thereof, as herein shown and described, a wide range and fine gradation of settings or adjustments for minimum terminal pressures may be positively and quickly had and obtained and similarly'for working pressures greater than said minimum terminal pressures, and that such fuel relief valve may be instantaneously and positively set and adjusted for actuation at such greater pressures at the will of the operator.

In the operation of the fuel relief valve assuming that the correlated and co-act-ing adjustable mechanisms thereof have been set or adjusted for a specific working pressure,

which is the pressure desiredto establish and maintain within the fluid fuel supply system of the engine, it follows, therefore, that if such pressure is exceeded the reversible valve stem 22 is caused to be elevated thereby from the seat thereof, to thus relieve or exhaust such excess pressure, which is thereupon discharged into the overflow conduit 54 and passes therethrough to the suction sidejof the double plunger pump 46, which latter when driven at a constant speed supplies fluid fuel to the said fluidfuel supply system ata constant rate equal to or greater than that required for the maximum load. 7 I

While I have herein shown and described my invention with suficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to understand the mode of constructionand the principles involved, it is to be understood that there is no intentional limitation herein to the specific form and precise details ofconstruction' of the in vention, as shown and described, except as expressly defined by the appended claims, and that various modifications of such construction may be resorted to without departing from the invention or the benefits derivable therefrom. I also desire it to be understood that certain features of the invention herein shown and described may be employed in other combinations than those herein shown.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is U 1. In a relief valve, in combination, avalve supporting bracket, a valve body removably secured within said bracket, a valve stem seating within said valve body, a compression spring for said valve stem, threaded sleeve removably secured upon said an exteriorly valve stem, a spring adjusting nut threadably engaged upon said sleeve to regulate the initial compression upon said spring to thereby predeterminately set said valve stem for actuation at a selected minimum terminal working pressure, a cam member slidably disposed within said valve supporting bracket to receive said spring and to enact with said spring adjusting nut, and manually operable means engaging said cam member to increase the compression upon said spring to predeterminately set said valve stem foractuation at a selected working pressure greater than said minimum terminal working pressure.

2. In a relief valve, in combination, a valve supporting bracket, a valve body removably secured within said bracket, a reversible valve stem seating within said valve body, a compression spring for said valve stem, an exteriorly threaded reversible sleeve removably secured upon said valve stem, a spring adjusting nut threadably engaged upon said sleeve to regulate the initial compression upon said spring to thereby p'redeterminately set said valve stem for actuation at a selected minimum'te'rminal Working pressure, a helical cam member slidably disposed within said valve supporting bracket to receive said spring and to co-act with said spring adjusting nut, a helical scam adjusting spindle rotatively mounted upon said valve supporting bracket and co -acting with said helical cam member, and a hand control lever fixedly secured to said helical cam adjusting spindle to increase the compression upon said spring to predeterminately set said valve stem for actuation at a selected working pressuregreater than said minimum terminal working pressure. I

8. In a relief valve, in combination, a valve supporting bracket, a valve bodyr emovably secured within said bracket, a reversible valve seat disposed within said valve body, a reversible valve stem seating within said valve body upon said reversible valve seat, a compression spring for said valve stem, an exteriorly threaded reversible sleeve removably secured upon said valve stem, a spring adjusting nut abutting the lower end of said spring and adjustably secured upon saidsleeve to regulate the initial compression upon said spring to thereby predeterminately set said valve stem for actuation at a selected minimum terminal working pressure, a hollow cylindrical helical cam member slidably disposed and splined against rotation within said valve supporting bracket to receive the upper end of said compression spring and to co-act with saidspring adj usting'nut, aspindle supporting bracket rigidly secured to the upper side of said valve supporting bracket, a helical cam adjusting spindle rotatively mounted within said spindle supporting bracket to coact With said cylindrical helical cam member, a hand control lever fixedly secrease the compression upon said spring topredeterminately set said valve stem for actuation at a selected Working pressure greater than said minimum terminal working pressure, and restrainingly engaging means mounted upon said spindle supporting bracket to positively retain said hand control lever in a selected adjusted position.

l. The combination With the stem and spring of a relief valve, of an exteriorly threaded sleeve r-emovably secured upon said stem having a series of longitudinal grooves cut in the periphery thereof, a nut threadedly engaged uponsaid sleeve for regulating the initial compression of said spring, and means selectively engageable with said grooves for retaining the nut in an adjusted position upon the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' ADRIAN C. ESTEP. 

